Mixed Acid Digest
This digest involves the use of Nitric, Perchloric, Hydrochloric and Hydrofluoric acids with the digest temperature being raised steadily until all the acids are boiled off and the mixture becomes dry. Dissolution of the remaining solids is achieved using Hydrochloric acid. Even with this attack some minerals remain incompletely extracted. However this digestion does approach a 'total' analysis in most cases. The use of Hydrofluoric acid ensures the breakdown of silicate minerals. Under controlled conditions, loss of volatile elements is held to a minimum. Low levels of rare earths are quantitatively recovered.Whilst major element analysis can be done using this method, the Peroxide fusion is the recommended technique to determine total content of matrix elements.
Detection Limits by ICP-OES (Method Code : ICP102)
| Ag (1 ppm) |  Al (10 ppm) |
As (5 ppm) |
Ba (1 ppm) |
Be (1 ppm) |
| Ca (10 ppm) | Cd (1 ppm) |
Co (2 ppm) |
Cr (5 ppm) |
Cu (1 ppm) |
| Fe (10 ppm) | K (20 ppm) |
Li (10 ppm) |
Mg (10 ppm) |
Mn (1 ppm) |
| Mo (2 ppm) | Na (10 ppm) |
Ni (1 ppm) |
P (10 ppm) |
Pb (5 ppm) |
| S (10 ppm) | Sc (1 ppm) |
Sr (2 ppm) |
Sn (5 ppm) |
Ti (1 ppm) |
| V (2 ppm) | Y (5 ppm) |
Zn (1 ppm) |
Zr (1 ppm) |
Detection Limits by ICP-MS (Method Code : ICP302)
| Ag (0.5 ppm) | As (0.5 ppm) |
Ba (1 ppm) |
Be (0.1 ppm) |
Bi (0.1 ppm) |
| Cd (0.5 ppm) | Ce (0.05 ppm) |
Co (1 ppm) |
Cs (0.1 ppm) |
Cu (1 ppm) |
| Dy (0.05 ppm) | Er (0.05 ppm) |
Eu (0.05 ppm) |
Ga (0.2 ppm) |
Gd (0.2 ppm) |
| Hf (0.2 ppm) | Ho (0.02 ppm) |
In (0.02 ppm) |
La (0.05 ppm) |
Li (0.5 ppm) |
| Lu (0.02 ppm) | Mo (0.2 ppm) |
Nb (0.5 ppm) |
Nd (0.05 ppm) |
Ni (2 ppm) |
| Pb (1 ppm) | Pr (0.02 ppm) |
Rb (0.02 ppm) |
Re (0.1 ppm) |
Sb (0.1 ppm) |
| Sc (2 ppm) | Se (1 ppm) |
Sm (0.05 ppm) |
Sn (1 ppm) |
Sr (0.1 ppm) |
| Ta (0.05 ppm) | Tb (0.02 ppm) |
Te (0.2 ppm) |
Th (0.05 ppm) |
Tl (0.1 ppm) |
| Tm (0.02 ppm) | U (0.05 ppm) |
W (0.5 ppm) |
Y (0.1 ppm) |
Yb (0.05 ppm) |
| Zn (2 ppm) | Zr (1 ppm) |